AGNES GREY is the debut novel of English author Anne Bronte, first published in 1947. The novel follows Agnes Grey, a governess, as she works within families of the English gentry. Scholarship and comments by Anne's sister Charlotte Bronte suggest the novel is largely based on Anne Bronte's own experiences as a governess for five years. Like her sister Charlotte's novel Jane Eyre, it addresses what the precarious position of governess entailed and how it affected a young women. The choice of central character allows Anne to deal with issues of oppression and abuse of women and governesses, isolation and ideas of empathy.